W8USR - Special Events

Remembering the World War II Jimmy Doolittle Raid

About the Special Event

This special event station was organized to honor General James "Jimmy" Doolittle and the brave crews of the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders. Operating across multiple HF bands, the event commemorated the tactical brilliance, extreme bravery, and historical significance of the April 18, 1942 bombing mission over Japan.

The History of the Doolittle Raid

Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States sought a way to strike back at the Japanese homeland to boost American morale and force Japan to reallocate defensive forces. Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle devised a daring and technically complex plan: launch sixteen Army Air Forces B-25B Mitchell medium bombers from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV-8) deep in the Pacific Ocean.

Because medium land-based bombers were never designed to take off from a carrier, the crews trained extensively in secret. On April 18, 1942, spotted early by a Japanese patrol boat, the Raiders were forced to launch 10 hours early and 150 miles further out than planned. Despite the risk of running out of fuel before reaching safe zones in China, all 16 aircraft successfully took off, flew to their targets, and flew onward into history, altering the psychological course of the war in the Pacific.

Station Log: Contact History

Date	Special Event Call	My Callsign	Time (UTC)	Band	Mode	RST
April 18, 1992	W8TO	N8SWQ	14:35 UTC	20 Meters	SSB	59